Columbia cuts jobs as universities brace for funding fight

Columbia University announced that nearly 180 staff members working on grants slashed by the Trump administration will be let go on Tuesday 6 May, as prominent universities across the country prepare for a long-term funding fight with the United States federal government, writes Amanda Friedman for POLITICO.

The Ivy League institution said the cuts are a result of the “intense” financial strain brought on by the Trump administration’s slashing of US$400 million in the institution’s federal funding, which the university is still negotiating to recover. “In the coming weeks and months, we will need to continue to take actions that preserve our financial flexibility and allow us to invest in areas that drive us forward,” a letter from Claire Shipman, the university’s acting president, and others said. “This is a deeply challenging time across all higher education, and we are attempting to navigate through tremendous ambiguity with precision, which will be imperfect at times.”

The approximately 180 people impacted by Tuesday’s terminations reflect roughly 20% of the individuals who are funded in some way by the pulled grants, the letter said. Columbia has also launched a ‘Research Stabilization Fund’ to navigate “future funding risks” and support its scientific community.
Full report on the POLITICO site